1. The Rams were hammered again by the injury bug, as numerous players were forced to leave the game. We won’t get an official report from Spags until Monday, but initial reports are that Michael Hoomanawanui and Al Harris could miss the rest of the season with knee injuries. Rodger Saffold left with a possible concussion and didn’t return, Darian Stewart left a couple of different times and suffered a neck injury, and Cadillac WIlliams left with a quad injury. Again, stay tuned tomorrow for a full report from Spags.

2. Steven Jackson carried the offense again, as he finished with 128 yards on 27 rushes and 23 receiving yards as well. This was his third 100-yard game in a row, and he looked unstoppable for much of the day. He is really starting to peak right now after starting the season off with injury, so this offense needs to be better around him to take advantage.

3. Brandon Lloyd again led the team in receptions and receiving yards, and he also made it into the end zone for the only TD of the game for either team. His touchdown catch was very nice, but he made a one-handed catch on the sideline that was absolutely astounding. This guy is special, and if you haven’t seen the catch you should find a clip. More on next page…

Safety TJ Ward is expected to be out with a foot injury, and he will likely be replaced by Usama Young, who has also been slowed by a hip injury. Ward is a very nice player, so the Browns will miss his presence in the secondary. I’ve been watching Ward since he was in college at Oregon, and he has a nose for the ball and just makes plays. As far as Young goes, he’s a pretty solid replacement but I would rather see him back there hobbled with a hip injury than Ward.

On the offensive side of the ball, WR Mohamed Massaquoi is expected to be out with concussion symptoms. Massaquoi is a talented receiver who had the potential to cause problems for the Rams in the secondary, so his absence should hurt Colt McCoy and the rest of the Cleveland passing game. The Rams are still going to have to watch out for Josh Cribbs, who is outstanding in the return game and has shown the ability to be a weapon in the offense as well, but not having to worry about Massaquoi is a relief.

Let’s start with instant replay. The league will now require the booth reviewer to look at every scoring play to verify that it is actually a score. The reasoning behind this move is so coaches don’t have to burn challenges on scoring plays, thus allowing coaches to preserve those challenges for other plays. Coaches will be allowed two challenges per game, and they will be awarded a third if the first two are successful. I am 110 percent behind this change. Scoring plays are of vital importance, and they should be reviewed to make sure the call is correct. I like the fact that coaches can now save their challenges without feeling pressured to use them because of the magnitude of the scoring play. They got this one right.

Now, on to the one they got wrong. The other major change was the decision to move kickoffs from the 30-yard line to the 35. According to the league, this move will cut down on injuries during return plays. Touchbacks will still go to the 20, and there will still be a two-person wedge allowed on returns. This was a major mistake, in my opinion. Touchbacks are extremely common already, and with the added five yards, return men will be rendered nearly obsolete. I know the league is intent on limiting injuries, but this completely changes the game. I know the Rams haven’t had a significant return threat in years, but for teams that do, this could be a major blow. Starting nearly every possession on the 20 will limit scoring, which should be the opposite of what the league is going for. Returners like Josh Cribbs and Devin Hester have already spoken out against this rule, and I agree with them completely. This was a big swing-and-miss by the NFL.

In another less significant change, teams are now required to seek approval if they want to change the color of their field. That’s not a joke. If someone wants to go to the Smurf Turf like at Boise St., they have to go through the league first. I had to chuckle a bit when I heard this, but it got me thinking. How neat would it be if the Vikings had purple turf, or the Raiders had black? I could really get behind black turf in Oakland, but it looks like that dream will never be realized. I’m devastated.